this afternoon to meet him,” Edith adds, returning my grin with relief in her eyes. “It was because of the boosted Facebook post that they saw his cute face and wanted to give him a home.”
“That’s why this fundraiser is so important,” Debbie notes, taking a seat beside me.
“Most definitely. Not only does it fund the shelter for the year, but it helps with vital advertising and promoting our adoption services. Putting the animals directly in view definitely helps tug on those heartstrings a little more.”
“So we’re just over two weeks away from the Fur-ever Home Gala. What do we still need to do?” I ask, anxious to get down to business.
The idea of the gala was actually mine. After I had started volunteering at the shelter, I saw how important donations were. I made several contributions myself, but after attending a fundraiser for a local not-for-profit youth sports center, the idea of a formal gala came to mind. I pitched the idea to Edith, who agreed it could be highly beneficial to the shelter. The first event brought in almost one hundred thousand dollars, between the per-plate dinner and the silent auction. The second annual event last year, we doubled our proceeds. We have big hopes for this year’s event.
“I’ve been in contact with the caterers and the band. Both are set. Deadline to purchase tickets is this Friday, and so far, we’re sitting at just over three-hundred and fifty.”
“I’ll give it another push on our social media pages, but that’s not really the demographic we’re targeting to sell tickets,” Debbie adds, and she’s absolutely right. Most people can’t afford a five-thousand-dollar plate dinner. Our targeted audience is more of the business world. Those who want to see their names associated with a charity and their photos in the papers. My father was a big help in filling tables last year and has been nothing short of amazing in helping promote again this year.
I smile at Debbie, the older grandmotherly woman with a big heart for shelter animals. Debbie lives in a small duplex not too far from here and isn’t in a financial position to purchase a dinner plate for her and her husband. When I approached Edith with the idea of the gala, it was with the stipulation that all volunteers and significant others could attend at no cost to them. I have the money just sitting in several accounts, accruing more interest than I could possibly spend, so I donate the cost of their plates anonymously. Only Edith and I know who pays for their plates, and I’d like to keep it that way.
“Do you have your dress?” I ask the woman sitting beside me.
Debbie beams a wide grin my way. “Yes, I found a hell of a deal at Nordstrom’s last weekend. It was on their clearance rack, and I was able to even get a new pair of pumps too. Charlie’s renting a tux again, and it’s supposed to be in the Thursday before the gala.”
When I glance across the table to Edith, she gives me a shy smile. “I found one too. It’s silver and dips a little lower in the front than I’ve ever worn,” she starts before Debbie interrupts her.
“But it was too gorgeous to pass up! She’s going to knock Frank’s socks off when he sees her in it,” Debbie adds, referring to Edith’s husband. Edith and Debbie went shopping together last weekend after they closed the shelter. I’ve been meaning to ask how their little excursion went and am pleased they were both able to secure new dresses to this year’s event.
“What about you?” Edith asks.
I shrug my shoulders, recalling the red dress I found a few weeks back. It has a halter top and dips dangerously low in the back. Like Edith, it’s a little flashier than I usually go for, but on a whim, I tried it on and fell in love. I found a pair of gold strappy shoes that will probably kill my feet before the first course is served, but the sales associate made a compelling case in favor of the gold Jimmy Choo shoes. “I found something, yes.”
“You’re being mysterious. I can’t wait to see it,” Debbie coos.
“And what about Matthew? Is he attending with you?” Edith asks.
“Oh, uh, well, I’m not sure yet. He’s so busy,” I reply, casually trying to brush off the fact I’m not sure if he’s attending or not. When I brought it up about a month ago,